


Thicker than Water

by CSIGurlie07



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Anxiety, F/F, Not a character death, PTSD, TW stabbing, maybe not the kind you think, sister bonding, tw drowning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-17 14:23:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13660821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CSIGurlie07/pseuds/CSIGurlie07
Summary: "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb."When Lex breaks out of prison, Supergirl isn't the one who comes to Lena's rescue.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is another thought exercise that got too long. Minimal set up, mostly action and resolution. Don't think too hard about the premise, it's not the point. 
> 
> Trigger warnings for some light stabbing and mild drowning. Peril and angst abound, but no death.

Lena stared at her brother, watching him pace from where she sat bound to a chair in an abandoned commercial boathouse. Water lapped gently against the pylons behind her, a gentle counterrhythm to Lex's anxious steps as he stalked across the wooden planks.

No one warned her he'd escaped. She'd had no warning, nor had Supergirl.

"How could you, Lena? How could you turn away from your own family?"

Swallowing, Lena gave a disaffected shrug. "Just following in big brother's footsteps, I guess."

"I did it for you!" Lex rounded on her. Lena flinched away from him, as much as her bindings would allow. The tape around her wrists and ankles held. "Everything I have done has been for you--"

"Don't insult me by trying to disguise your hatred of innocent people as love for me.”

Lex rocked back on his heels. "Lena..."

"I said don't,” she shot back.

A familiar smile shone through the madness, cracking Lena's heart in two. "You're my sister. I love you, even if you don't believe it. Just like I know you still love me."

"No," Lena countered, shaking her head.

"Lena--"

"I don't even know you anymore!" Tears burned at her eyes, twisting her lips even as she struggled to maintain her composure. "I love who you were. Not this."

"It's still me." His tone gentled, and god, it sounded like him. Like the Lex she remembered. "I'm the same person I've always been."

"Really?" Lena snarled. "The kid who taught me chess had always wanted me dead? Those afternoons you sneaked away from boarding school to take me out for ice cream, you were already plotting to murder me? Is that what it was?"

Lex's eyes flashed dangerously. "You turned your back on me! You threw your lot in with _them!_ "

"I'd barely been in National City a month when you sabotaged the Venture. I only met Supergirl because you-- _mmph!"_

A rough hand slapped a long piece of tape across Lena’s mouth, silencing anything else she had to say. Lex turned on his heel, stalking away from her with fury scrunched in his shoulders.

"I don't want to play the blame game," he told her. His voice echoed in the open space of the warehouse, distorting itself into the tone of one laboring to take the high road. Lena twisted her wrists against the tape pinioning her to the chair. It held fast, even as Lex turned back to face her, now with a video camera in hand.

"I'm going to ask you a simple question, Lena." He handed the camera to another henchman, who deftly slipped the padded strap over his fingers. The red recording light came on, focusing on her as Lex crouched at her knees. "It's a simple yes or no question, and as you decide your answer, I urge you to remember that Supergirl won’t be coming to save you this time."

Lena curled her trembling fingers into fists when Lex's hand settled gently on her knee. Her thoughts flashed to the last she'd seen of Kara, sprawled on the pavement outside L-Corp with a kryptonite blade in her chest. Lena's vision swam with tears.

She stared at Lex, if only to keep from letting them fall.

Lex stared back, his features open and hopeful. "Will you help me?"

A chill ran down Lena’s spine. She didn’t need a genius level intellect to discern the true question posed to her. Her options were simple: one answer meant her life--the other, death. It wasn't a question at all.

With a single shake of her head, Lena’s tears shook free of her lashes, spilling down her cheek.  _No._

Lex reached up to wipe her tears away with his thumb, and for a brief moment, his palm cupped her cheek. This time, Lena didn't recoil from his touch. The warmth of his hand spread along her jaw, gentle and so like the brother she remembered. After a moment, he rose up and pressed a kiss to her brow.

"I love you so much, ace," Lex said, his voice low. Lena stared at him, breath sharp in her chest. "Even enough to let you go."

Lena didn't immediately feel the blade that slid between her ribs from behind, so gentle was the thrust. Then it twisted viciously, scraping against bone and left there by an unseen hand. Her scream was little more than a gasp, swallowed by the tape across her mouth. All the while, Lex smiled at her in absolution.

She coughed through her nose as Lex stood and turned his back on her. Pain spread across Lena’s chest as the rest of her body caught on to the fact a blade had found its home in her. It flared with every pump of her lungs, stealing her very breath as Lex started issuing orders.

"Start packing up. We're done here."

The man lurking behind her finally crossed into her field of vision. His right hand was painted red with her blood, and hard eyes regarded her coldly, until Lex issued one final order.

"Get rid of her," he said. "If the Kryptonian survived, let her tear her hair out trying to find the body."

In an instant, a boot slammed into Lena's chest, tipping the chair backwards. She braced herself for the blow of the floor colliding with the hilt still protruding from her back, but it never came. Instead the sharp chill of the water's embrace shocked her senses, before the waves closed over her head and swallowed her in darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Lex Luthor didn’t bother hiding his tracks after Supergirl fell, and for a few hours, his strategy worked. For a harrowing four hours, Alex could think of nothing but Kara, who still lay unconscious in the DEO medbay, ensconced on the sunbed with the lamps burning at full blast.

But when Kara pulled out of surgery, the haze of panic parted, Alex found room to realize what Kara’s defeat had meant: Lex had Lena.

“He’s her brother,” Winn pointed out nervously. “He won’t hurt her, will he?”

“You’re not seriously the one asking that, are you?” Alex snapped, brooking zero patience for willful naivete. “Find them, now.”

Lex had accounted for Supergirl. He hadn’t planned for the DEO. Using the same algorithm Winn had written to track Metallo’s signature so long ago, they traced the Lexosuit’s kryptonite trail to the wharf. Alex hesitated to join the strike team, but knew there was nothing more she could do for Kara. She _could_ make a difference for Lena.

No one argued when she took point.

As soon as Alex's boots crossed the threshold of the abandoned boathouse, the first thing she noticed was that Lena was nowhere in sight. In the heartbeat that followed, her mind raced to piece fragments of the puzzle together.

Alex saw Lex behind the wheel of a dark SUV, engine already running. She spotted the lone man on the opposite side of the warehouse, turning back from the water's edge with satisfaction glinting in his eyes. She registered the spots of blood on the deck less than a foot from his boots, and the tracks of splintered wood where something heavy had scraped towards the water.

In an instant, Alex understood the picture before her perfectly, and saw the choice laid out in front of her.

In the next beat, she made her decision.

Alex fired once, sinking a bullet into the skull of the man between her and the water, then unlooped her rifle from around her neck.

"Cover me! I've got Lena."

Vasquez didn't question it. She accepted the second rifle and relayed the order, diverting half the team to disabling the vehicle while the other half lay down suppressive fire. Alex used the cover to sprint towards the water, stripping off her ordnance as she went. She kept only her knife, wedging the hilt between her teeth before diving headfirst into the water.

Adrenaline thwarted the first shock of the water closing over her head, but as she swam deeper the darkness pressed in on her. Her teeth grit themselves on the plastic hilt of her combat knife, and she struggled to force herself deeper, sacrificing precious air to push further into the black. When her fingers finally hit silt, she immediately stretched her arms wide, blindly searching for Lena.

She found nothing but more water.

Alex kicked against the seafloor when the burn in her lungs grew unbearable, propelling herself back to the surface. She paused only long enough to catch her breath before diving back down, ignoring the calls of orders and the urgent sound of gunfire.

By some miracle, this time, she found Lena before she hit sand. Her fingers tangled in long hair, brushing against the shape of an eyebrow and nose before Alex regained her bearings enough to feel her way down Lena's shoulder to the tape trapping her in place.

Her knife made quick work of it, even in the water, but when Alex gripped Lena's hand in the darkness, the lack of response chilled her more than the water. Alex worked less gently against the tape around Lena's ankles, mindful of the air rapidly depleting itself in her lungs and the stillness of the woman she worked to free. As soon as the last strip had been cut Alex hooked an arm around Lena's waist and followed her own bubbles back to the surface.

When her head broke the surface, Alex found Vasquez waiting on the edge of the pier, with two more agents watching her six. As she pulled air back into starving lungs, the dread of creeping nightmares melted into the dread of Lena's body floating limply against her, face dragging in the water. The horror sharpened into reality at the sight of the knife plunged into Lena's back, buried to the hilt.

"Call a bus!" Vasquez shouted, pitching herself almost off the edge of the dock trying to reach them. "We need a medkit!"

The call traveled down the line, but Alex could only focus on treading close enough for Vasquez to reach down. She struggled to keep their heads above water, and used the last of her strength to heft Lena high enough for Vasquez to catch an arm.

"We need a hand!" Vasquez called, and suddenly more fingers were reaching down, collecting first Lena, then Alex herself. From the corner of her eye, Alex caught Susan's hesitation at touching the knife handle.

"Do it," Alex ordered, coughing as she forced herself onto her knees. Every muscle screamed in protest, but Alex forced it from her mind, focusing on Lena. Removing the knife could cause more damage, but the priority was to get her breathing first.

Vasquez nodded, and pulled the knife free in a single gentle stroke. The sickening sound it made as it scraped free was rivalled only by the way Lena didn't react. Alex moved to position herself next to Lena's head, peeling the tape from Lena's lips as she did.

"Compressions," she told Vasquez. "Go."

They fell into the practiced, efficient rhythm of CPR. Vasquez carefully placed her palms and swiftly began to press. Alex listened to her count, focusing on the numbers to ignore the snap of bone and cartilage, and the slow spread of blood pooling underneath them. When Vasquez reached thirty, Alex sealed her lips over Lena's mouth and delivered two deep breaths.

It took another round and a half before Lena started to choke, vomiting water from her mouth and nose.

"On her side, quick!"

"Grab the quikclot, hurry--"

"Lena?" Alex let Vasquez take over, choosing to simply cradle Lena's head as she retched. "It's okay, I've got you."

Even as Lena struggled to catch her breath, she cried out in pain when Vasquez set the dressing and pressed hard against bloody wound in her back, shoving her weight behind it.

"I know, I know," Alex told her breathlessly, smoothing the soaked hair from Lena's eyes. "I know it hurts. We have to stop the bleeding. Just hang in there..."

Lena's eyelids fluttered, eyes rolling. Struggling to catch her breath, groans of agony came between gasps, soft and pitiful. Bleary, bloodshot eyes slowly focused on Alex.

"Hey," Alex greeted with a smile. "There you are. You’re okay."

"Ka-- Kar--" Her sister's named devolved into more retching, but still Alex offered a hopeful smile.

"Kara's fine. She's fine, I promise." Kara wouldn't be flying anytime soon, but she would survive, and the benefit of Kryptonian biology on earth meant survival would get Kara to fine, eventually.

Lena's eyes rolled, and the coughing eased as Lena threatened to slip back into unconsciousness, or...

"No, no, no Lena, open your eyes. Open your eyes!" Alex patted Lena's cheek sharply, bringing her back around and into another fit of coughing. "I need you to stay awake. Stay awake for me..."

"Al- Alex--" Lena's voice wheezed between breaths. Her gaze struggled to lift to Alex's, but her energy was waning rapidly. Hesitating only a moment, Alex scootched her body down until she lay next to Lena, meeting her gaze eye to eye. As soon as she did, she wished she hadn't.

That close, Alex could see Lena's fear, the intelligence that worked through the haze of shock to acknowledge she wasn't in the clear. Somehow, Lena knew. Alex laced their fingers together, and took heart when Lena's squeezed back, however weakly.

"I'm right here," Alex promised. Hands tucked blankets around each of them, cutting the worst of the chill. "You're going to be okay, Lena. I promise."

Alex could only hope Lena had the strength to not to turn her into a liar.


	3. Chapter 3

Lena was strong enough, and then some.

Alex stayed with her. As much as she wanted to glue herself to Kara’s sunbed, her sister wasn't the one who needed close monitoring. Her sister was the one who needed rest, and would beg for answers Alex couldn't give her, so she instead camped out in Lena’s room instead.

Alternating between monitoring Lena’s vitals and checking the status of her ongoing projects, Alex didn’t give herself any time to think as the hours bled together. One day passed, then part of another before Lena finally stirred.

At her side in a second, Alex gently took her hand as Lena slowly rose to full consciousness. When bruised eyes finally opened, Alex gave her a broad grin. "Hey, there."

"Alex..." Lena's voice was hoarse and breathy, barely audible. Her brow furrowed, concern working its way through the haze.

"Before you ask," Alex offered readily, "Kara is fine. And so are you. You're both going to be okay."

Lena swallowed, eyes blinking heavily as her features pulled into a grimace. "...hurts."

"I know. It will for a few days. You cracked a couple of ribs, and a knife to the back is no picnic. But you pulled through."

Fingers curled slowly around Alex's hand. She looked up to see tears pooling in Lena's eyes. "Didn't know... you would come..."

"We'll always come for you, Lena. You're family."

Lena's tears spilled over. "You… you--" She couldn't quite get the words out, and Alex moved to fill the quiet.

"Yeah, well, you'd do the same for me,” she said, forcing a smile. She squeezed Lena's hand. “Stay out trouble for a little while, and we'll call it even."

Lena blinked, sucking in a rasping breath. "Lex...?"

Alex hesitated, then shook her head. They'd nabbed the goons still on the ground, but the vehicle managed slid their perimeter, with Lex in it.

Lena nodded, even as her lips pulled downwards. "Then I don't think that… will be possible.” She tried to smile, but her lips trembled, and a sob scraped from her throat. "Alex--”

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re--”

“I'm so sorry…” Lena gasped for breath, pressing her free hand against her chest as her sobs pulled against sore lungs. “I'm so, so sorry!"

Alex knew Lena well enough now to see the true source of the guilt beneath the apology. It had nothing to do with her own near murder, or Alex's role in thwarting it. It had everything to do with the Kryptonian in the next room over, who had fought for Lena's safety, and lost.

"It's okay," Alex assured her, giving Lena's hand a rub. "You’re both okay-- that's the important thing. The rest will come later. We'll find him. We'll finish this, together."

"Lena?"

Kara's voice drifted in from the doorway. Alex turned and saw her sister looking like death warmed over. With a final squeeze Alex released Lena's hand, and crossed to meet Kara at the threshold. She took Kara's arm, but kept her firmly in place as she leaned into whisper in her ear.

"Just for a few minutes. If you keep to it," she cut in softly, feeling Kara's intake of breath to protest, “I'll see about getting your beds moved together tomorrow."

"Why can't we do it now?"

Alex bit back a sigh. "Kara..."

"Alex, I'm fine--!" Kara's voice lifted sharply, then cut off when Alex tightened her grip.

"It's not you I'm worried about," she murmured. In an instant, Kara's features froze, then twisted as realization sank in. Alex sighed-- she should have told Kara something more than she had, but she didn't regret the decision to keep the severity Lena's condition from her.

"We just need one more night of observation. Tomorrow we'll talk, okay?"

Kara nodded mutely, her imminent tantrum gutted by the sudden revelation. Lex had tried and failed to kill Lena so many times, it was hard to accept that this time he had, for all intents and purposes, succeeded. Had Alex been just a minute later than she had been, Lena's fate would have been final.

Alex helped Kara walk to Lena's bedside, only releasing her hold on Kara's arm when her sister had found a seat on the rolling stool that Alex nudged under her.

"I'll be just outside," she told them both lightly. She reached out and gave Lena's knee a pat. "Give a shout if you need anything."

Lena nodded, and Alex pressed a kiss to Kara's hair. "As soon as she's asleep, back to the sunbed," she ordered, soft enough that Lena wouldn't hear. Kara nodded.

Alex headed for the door, only to pause when Lena called her name. "Thank you."

Throat suddenly locked tight, Alex could only nod. Alex paused in the doorway, letting the soft voices behind her tarry her for just a moment.  
  
"Kara..." Alex heard blankets rustle as Lena opened her arms. Bending was likely painful, but Kara dipped down anyway, greedily returning the gentle embrace.  Alex could hear how careful she was being, despite her lack of powers, now acutely aware of the injuries hidden beneath the medical gown.  
  
"I'm okay," Kara promised in a tearful whisper. "Are _you_ okay?"  
  
Alex forced herself out of the room, doing her best to ignore the tightness in her chest. She braced herself against the catwalk rail, inhaling deeply. Her fingers started to shake against the bannister; she flexed them, gritting her teeth as her lips trembled traitorously.  
  
"Hey."  
  
Winn's voice startled her, jerking her out of the growing haze and reinstalling her neutral expression in a blink. As soon as she saw his gentle expression, her mask threatened to crack almost instantly. Alex looked away, instead gazing back into the room and the paper-thin women within.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
Alex nodded vigorously. "Yeah, of course." She cleared her throat, nodding her chin towards the medbay. "Kara's in with Lena now. Thought I'd give them some privacy."  
  
"And Lena...?"  
  
"She's hanging in there," Alex croaked. "If we can get through the night without any complications, I'd say she's in the clear."  
  
It had come too close. Too close to losing Lena, who had somehow become essential in their lives, as integral as Kara and just as vulnerable. Too close to losing Kara, too close to Kara losing the woman she loved so deeply. Too close to home, too close to the memories Alex did her best to ignore.

"Keep an eye on them," she said brusquely. "I'm gonna grab a shower. I'll be back in ten."

He nodded, but she didn't stick around to see it. She walked briskly down the stairs, then traveled on stiff legs to an empty locker room. There in the solitude, the knot in her chest tore open, releasing the floodgates.

Wedging herself in the furthest corner of the room, Alex struggled to breathe as tears poured down her cheeks. Her heart raced, running a marathon as the world froze around her. Only the sound of the door opening cut through the pounding in her ears, sending a frisson of adrenaline down Alex's spine at the thought of being found like this, with the end nowhere in sight.

But it was J'onn who settled onto the ground next to her. J'onn who took her hand and said nothing. J'onn who waited, until the tears ran their course and she could finally tilt her head back against the wall behind her.

"I'm okay," Alex muttered, as much to herself as to him.

J'onn squeezed her hand. "Yes, you are."


	4. Chapter 4

Watching Lena die got harder with every loop.

The day after Lena woke up, Cadmus issued its latest announcement-- Lena Luthor was dead. The talking head dissolved into video footage of Lena gagged and bound to her chair in the boathouse. The picture of rationality, Lex offered her one final out.

_Will you help me?_

And then, with tears spilling down her cheeks, Lena shook her head no.

Alex watched with her heart in her throat as the camera zoomed in on the knife hefted by the man behind her. It disappeared behind her, and when Lex pulled back, Lena's eyes widened sharply, then closed tight in agony.

If she didn't know better, Alex could spot the flaws in the camerawork. She could see where some could argue it was faked. The knife was out of the camera's view, so how could anyone know for sure?

But then the goon stepped around Lena with blood on his hands, and kicked her into the water. That, no one could fake. Not the split second of panic before the water closed over Lena's head, or the bubbles that trailed up, then stilled.

The talking head returned.

_"To the aliens of National City: your champions are dead.”_

A picture of Supergirl's fall flashed across the screen, blurred but unmistakable.

_“Run-- hide. Scurry back to your holes and sewers. Now, Cadmus comes for you."_

The feed cut off, returning their screens to black. Alex only just managed to reach the bathroom before her stomach emptied. When her stomach calmed, she re-emerged to find Winn hovering outside.

"Alex…?"

"Burn a copy of that onto a flashdrive," she dismissed coldly, pushing past him. "And somebody tell me how the hell they're still hacking into the emergency broadcast!"

She managed to keep it from Kara and Lena for almost a day. But Kara was already regaining her superhearing, and the DEO echoed with whispers. She demanded to see the video, and Winn never could withstand her glares, not even when she looked so haggard.

Kara immediately started to shake. She made it barely a step back towards Lena's room when her eyes rolled back in her head and she went down.

Alex had half a mind to murder Winn the moment he told her what happened, but his expressive guilt promised he already felt far worse than anything she could do to him. Instead she finally allowed Kara and Lena’s beds to move into the same medbay, so that when Kara woke, Lena could be the first thing she saw, with her heart monitor beeping steadily away.

The problem with Kara knowing, however, was that it meant Lena knew. Within an hour of Lena first asking what was wrong, Winn had shown her too-- this time with Alex's blessing and James' assistance.

That steady beep of the heart monitor jolted unevenly when the blade hit its mark, and started to race when video-Lena disappeared into the water. Alex watched her carefully, but Lena's features remained frozen in a neutral expression even as her hands shook.

"All the major media outlets in the city have received copies of the wharf footage," James warned. _Wharf footage_. Alex liked that. It hinted at nothing it contained, the death it flirted with. The intimate moment in which the realization of one's death was so clearly writ across a person’s features.

Lena didn't respond. Alex couldn't discern a single reaction from her, and the stillness was quickly growing worrisome.

“We've tried to keep it off the air," he continued, "putting pressure where we can, but some people are running it regardless, and it's already hit the internet. CatCo has issued a statement that it continues to hope for your safe return, and has focused its news stories on the public’s reaction to the hack.”

“What do you mean?” Kara asked.

“Donations to alien shelters and food banks have increased by 30% in the past 24 hours. A vigil was held outside L-Corp last night, and intends to resume tonight at Millenial Park to accommodate growing numbers. Lex’s video has pulled Lena's supporters from the woodwork, and tipped a lot of holdouts over the line into Lena’s camp.”

"Has there been an attack yet?" Lena asked, her voice low.

James shook his head. "Not yet. But the city is bracing itself. People are scared."

Alex watched Lena carefully in the quiet that followed. She could feel Kara stewing, her gaze bouncing between Lena, the dark screen of the television, and her own lap. The longer her eyes lingered on Lena, the more her lips started to tremble.

“James…”

James straightened at the sound of Lena's voice. Her head finally lifted, revealing the fire burning in her eyes.

"Get me in front of a camera. I have a message for my brother."

* * *

Winn and James made short work of the set up, leaving Alex just enough time to get Lena in civilian clothes and made up to disguise the pallor of her cheeks. Kara hovered with both feet on the ground, uneasy about Lena's decision but unable to change her mind.

At Lena’s request, her hair stayed down, falling loosely against her shoulders. She looked soft, and approachable. A touch more blush gave her more of a healthy glow but no amount of concealer could cover up the dark circles under her eyes. Alex stepped back, studying Lena carefully.

"You sure about this?" she asked.

Green eyes met hers, solemn and resolute.

"Right."

Winn and James had converted one of the interrogation rooms int a remote studio. When Alex and Lena entered, cameras and lights were already in place, just waiting for their subject to arrive. Alex watched Lena take a moment to steady herself before striding smoothly to the seat waiting for her. As she carefully eased herself down into her seat, Kara pressed in close next to Alex, buzzing with tension.

“I don’t like this,” she muttered, folding her arms across her chest. Alex wrapped an arm around her shoulders, but said nothing. Not only was it not their choice, Alex found herself willing to see where Lena chose to take this.

With a nod from Lena, James started rolling.

"This is Lena Luthor.”

Her voice started strong and held.

“Two days ago a terrorist organization claimed to have evidence of my death. Despite their best efforts, reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.” Alex saw a gleam of humor spark in Lena’s gaze, reminding Alex of one more reason why she liked Lena. “I’m reaching out to you now to warn that Cadmus poses a significant threat. They have posed a danger to our city for years, and now they are led by a madman.”

Kara stiffened next to her, and James drew back to meet Alex’s gaze. Alex nodded, again trusting Lena’s judgement. This was her show.

Behind the table, Lena took a steadying breath. “Lex Luthor is dangerous, but he is relying on fear and hate to isolate his intended victims, and I know that there is plenty of that to go around. But I also know that National City has come together before, to fight the Daxamite Invasion. I urge you now to come together again, to fight an enemy just as dangerous.

“If Lex succeeds, his hatred will not end with aliens dead or gone. It will spread until there is no one left on Earth to challenge him. Now is the time to fight, while he hides, and cowers in the shadows, before he gains a foothold at the cost of lives. _This_ is the time to hold on to our hope, our compassion, and be the light in the shadows cast by Cadmus. That is my message to you.”

In the next pause, Lena’s breaths seemed shallow, and she blinked long and slow, dropping her gaze to where her hands pressed palm down against the table. Kara shifted, clutching Alex’s wrist tightly. Whether it was to hold herself back or urge Alex to step in, Alex couldn’t tell. Before she had to make a decision, Lena lifted her chin once more, features stony.

“To my brother, and as his friends within Cadmus, my message is this: the white queen is back in play."

Green eyes flashed menacingly, and even Alex felt a chill creep down her spine.

"Come and get me."


	5. Chapter 5

_ "Are you out of your mind?!" _

Kara dogged Lena's footsteps to the medbay, falling back only when Alex moved in to help Lena climb into bed. Though her stony features didn't shift, Lena's long blink as she sank into the cushions told Alex just how much energy her field trip had cost her. 

"You, you--" Kara paced, her own healing injuries ignored in her fury. "Was that whole thing just to, to.... to  _ taunt _ him?!"

"Yes." 

Alex's eyebrows shot upwards at the blunt admission. She hadn’t expected Lena to own up to it so readily. Kara choked, spinning on her heel and stalking towards the bed. Alex gave way without a second thought-- this was not an argument she needed to be a part of.

She lingered though, distracting herself by tidying her workstation. 

"You don't get to make that choice," Kara reminded Lena, fists clenched against Lena's blankets. Her voice was low, and dark, and unlike anything Alex had ever heard from her sister before.

"Yes, I do," Lena countered, but her voice softened.

"He killed you, Lena." Kara's voice caught, and broke. " _ He killed you _ . If Alex hadn't been there, if she hadn't--"

"I know. And the fact I survived is going to get under his skin, and gnaw at him to no end. He won’t be able to think about anything else. All of his attention will be on finishing the job."

Silence stretched, broken only by the sound of Kara's ragged breathing. Then, small in the quiet...

"I can't protect you, Lena."

"Kara..."

"Even with my powers, I couldn't protect you. And now I'm, I'm... now you’ve just dangled yourself like a carrot in front of the deadliest man on the planet."

Lena shifted, and from the corner of her eye Alex watched her reach for Kara's hand, only for Kara to pull sharply away. Lena retracted her hand, swallowing to disguise her hurt.

"If he's focused on me,” Lena explained gently, “then he won't have time to plan an attack on the aliens in the city. If I can hold his attention long enough, maybe we can end this before anyone else has to die."

Kara glared at her, lips trembling. Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the medbay. Alex instinctively moved to follow but Lena’s call pulled her back.

"Alex, wait." 

With a sigh, Alex let Kara go. She returned to Lena's bedside. As she started reconnecting the heart monitor leads and pulse ox sensor, Alex offered her a gentle smile.  "She doesn't mean it."

Lena nodded, but her mouth twitched unhappily. "I know.” came the soft response.

Alex trailed her fingers over the bandages wrapped around Lena’s wrists. Matching dressings adorned her ankles-- souvenirs from Alex slicing her free of the tape. They remained clean, and Alex decided against redressing them in favor of getting Lena some rest. 

"How’s the pain?" she asked.

"An absolute bitch," Lena confessed, shifting to find a more comfortable position. She froze, breath catching in her chest. " _Shit_."

"I'm going to dose you," Alex warned. "And I want you to sleep. We can figure out what to do when you're more rested."

Lena offered no argument. The effect of the painkillers was almost instantaneous. The stiffness melted away, and Lena finally relaxed against the mattress. Sleepy eyes watched Alex as she put the syringe in the sharps bin and stripped off her gloves.

"I'm sorry, Alex," Lena said softly, the edges of her words blurring together as sleep crept closer. "I don't want to put you or the DEO in jeopardy. I just-- I didn't know what else to do." Her voice cracked, and she lifted a hand to wipe her watering eyes. "I can't live like this anymore."

"You don't need to explain." Alex chest ached. If she asked-- and she wouldn't, god she wouldn't-- Alex wondered if sudden impetus for bringing this chapter to a close wasn't the knife wound in her back or the fluid that still lingered in her lungs. As much as Lex had targeted Lena over the years, she’d suffered it from the start. The only difference this time was the woman who had just stormed off.

Lex had targeted Kara, and  _ that _ , Lena couldn’t stand.

Lena sniffled, scrubbing her eyes again as they continued to tear. Alex rubbed her arm in reassurance, still mindful of the bandages. 

"We'll help you," Alex promised. "Whatever you need, we'll be right there with you."

Giving a thin smile of appreciation, Lena nodded. Her blinks grew longer, but even as sleep beckoned Alex could see the wheels still turning. A crinkle appeared between her eyebrows, so similar to Kara's but meaning very different things.

"You have a plan, don’t you," Alex guessed. 

Lena blinked again. "Maybe..."   
  
She didn't sound sure, but Alex didn't doubt it. "What do you need?"   
  
The answer was long in coming, slowed by thought and the pull of sleep. "Winn mentioned..."  Lena's eyes closed, then pried themselves back open. "...you have a suit of your own."   
  
Alex nodded.   
  
"Could I... take a look?"   
  
Alex squeezed Lena's hand. "Why, Luthor-- I thought you’d never ask.” She grinned. “After you get some sleep."

Lena was out before Alex had even finished speaking.   



	6. Chapter 6

When Lena was 11 years old, she spent her spring break with Lex. He worked the entire time she was with him, and Lena had loved every minute of it. Lillian had long ensured she knew the value of knowledge, the duty and responsibility she bore as a Luthor to collect as much as possible. But Lex… In that one week at his side, Lex had taught Lena the joy of it.

He put a clipboard in her hands and told her to stick close.

"The only difference between science and screwing around is writing it down, ace."

Two days before she was due to fly back to Metropolis, then on to boarding school, Lex let her into his inner sanctum to witness the truly wondrous experiments. He'd procured a sample of an unknown element, something not found naturally on Earth, and yet showed no signs of manufacture. Lena recalled it vividly, even now-- it had glowed a faint, sickly green.

She spent the day writing down everything she saw, peppering Lex with questions he’d answered with patience and enthusiasm. They’d been entrenched in a discussion about the enthalpic properties of the unknown mineral when it happened.

There'd been no warning, no sign: only an acrid smell of something strange burning and the next thing Lena knew she was cradled in Lex's arms, the remains of the lab collapsed around them. The explosion left them trapped for 13 hours, and yet Lena hadn't been scared for a moment, because Lex was there; he’s smiled, and told her they were going to be fine.

Lena struggled not to think of that day with Lex as she rode the executive elevator to her office at L-Corp, clad in DEO black and armed to the teeth.

That Lex didn't exist anymore. Neither did the eleven year old girl he'd held so tenderly.

When the elevators opened, she stepped into an office that was eerily silent. Lena’s encrypted message to Jess had ensured the building had been discreetly cleared for the weekend, leaving no one to witness Lena’s approach to an unremarkable section of wall. Placing her hand on an uninteresting portion of the wall, the hidden biometric lock beeped, prompting a portion of the wall to retract.

Where Lex had his vaults, Lena had her private lab. She'd done very little work in the small space since moving to National City, but it remained the most secure room in city limits. Here she stored the last remaining artifacts of LuthorCorp, the items whose production had halted but she couldn't quite bring herself to destroy.

An ocular scanner unlocked one cabinet, and from it Lena withdrew a utility case the size of a pocketbook. A twelve digit alphanumeric code opened the internal lock, allowing her to open the lid and reveal the single 38mm projectile round cushioned within. At first glance, it seemed innocuous: something that could be readily found at any hunting store or Walmart. Only upon closer inspection would one see the circuitry inlaid on its surface, and realize it was something far more sinister.

It was a prototype, the only one of its kind. All records regarding its development had been destroyed in the purge following Lex's arrest, ensuring no others could rebuild it from scratch. She'd hesitated to throw the round onto the fire along with everything else-- perhaps even then, she'd known she might need it.

Lena quickly unholstered the pistol strapped to her right thigh and ejected the mag. With deliberate purpose she thumbed every round from the cartridge, replacing them with the single bullet she’d come to get. Sliding the mag home she chambered the single round and slid the pistol back into its holster.

"We've got company, " Alex’s voice warned through the commpiece in Lena's ear. “Ground floor.”

“Proceeding to rendezvous,” Lena acknowledged as she re-emerged into her office proper, sealing her lab behind her. Sense drove her past the elevator towards the stairs. If she knew Lex, his men would have already recalled the car to the ground floor.

She entered the stairwell and started climbing. Within seconds, a door slammed open far below, and the sound of voices and booted feet trailed up, urging her faster towards the roof. Bursting into the afternoon sun, Lena staggered to a stop, blinking to clear her vision. In that moment, a fist drove into her back, striking within inches of the sutured wound still healing there.

The force of the pain sent her sprawling, coughing to reclaim her breath even as she twisted to lay eyes on her attacker. There stood Lex, grinning at her from within his armor. His eyes followed her movement unblinking, as she forced herself to her feet, staggering backwards to put space between them.

“You made a mistake, Lena," he called. Lena snatched the gun from her left thigh, bringing it to bear. Lex didn't bat an eye. "You should have stayed dead-- gone to Bermuda... laid low. I wouldn't have chased you."

Lena scowled. "But then I wouldn't be a Luthor, would I?"

Lex's eyes glinted menacingly before his faceplate snapped shut. He lunged towards her in a dead sprint. Lena fired-- the first shot glanced off his kinetic shields, as did the second. Then all Lena could do was brace for impact as Lex continued full tilt towards her.

Neither of them saw the dark blur pelting across the roof until it rammed full speed into Lex, knocking him off course. He crashed and skidded across the helipad, sparks flying as he struggled to regain his footing. Lex retracted his faceplate, his features a furious snarl as he glared at the newest threat.

Clutching her ribs, Lena smiled gratefully at Alex Danvers, standing tall in her Kryptosuit. Alex gave her a small nod before turning her focus on Lex.

"You didn't think she'd be alone, did you?"


	7. Chapter 7

_"You didn't think she'd be alone, did you?"_

Lex’s features twisted at Alex's words, his smirk distorted by rage. He thrust his arms out, palm down. His rockets immediately engaged, lifting him from the pavement. He hovered just out of Alex’s reach, even as Alex reached for the kryptonite blade mounted to her back. Lena stared, fighting the creeping dread of helplessness.

A sour taste curled on her tongue as Lex lurked overhead. Heart pounding, she scanned the rooftop for the missing piece of the puzzle. After all these years, Lena knew Lex’s grandstanding when she saw it.

"Did you think _I_ would be?"

“Watch out--!”

Lena’s call came too late, on the heels of a blue laser that fired from across the roof. It caught Alex square in the back, dropping her where she stood. _Henshaw._

The cyborg stalked across the tarmac, shoving Lena aside before grabbing Alex by the neck and tossing her like a ragdoll across the roof. Alex landed with a grunt, her armor clanking against the tarmac. She stilled in a pitiful heap, unable to regain her feet before Henshaw was on her again, slamming his boot into her chest.

Lena lunged towards them, if only to be a distraction, give Alex time to breathe. Lex dropped in front of her, knocking the pistol from her hand and locking a fist around her throat. With a roar he swung her around, smashing her against the fire access door. Stars clouded her vision; Lena clutched tightly at his arm, struggling to remain conscious as his armored fingers slowly tightened, cutting off her air supply.

"I would have ignored you," Lex snarled, spittle pelting Lena's cheeks. "I would have let you live out the rest of your days in exile. You just couldn't leave it alone! I didn't want to _hurt you--!"_

Lex suddenly lurched against her, his grip slipping in a cacophony of screeching metal and protesting circuits. Over his shoulder, Lena saw Alex, teeth gnashing as she drove every ounce of her strength into the lance she’d driven into the small of Lex’s armored back-- precisely where Lena had instructed.

Releasing Lena, Lex whirled around, swiping blindly at the offending attacker. Alex hopped easily out of reach, agile despite her bulky armor. Her makeshift spear remained lodged in Lex's back until he reached around and pulled it free himself, unleashing a shower of sparks and smoke. It clattered to the ground in front of Lena.

As she coughed to regain her breath, Lena watched her brother thrust his arms out once more. His boosters engaged, sputtering and ultimately dying before he’d lifted more than an inch. He tried again, and this time, nothing happened. Lex was grounded.

Just like that, the playing field leveled.

Only then did Lex seem to register who he faced. His eyes flickered from the Alex before him to the one still dangling from Henshaw’s fist. Lena almost laughed as Lex’s brow furrowed in a rare moment of utter bafflement. As he watched, a red glimmer rippled over Henshaw’s victim, distorting unnaturally before finally resolving into the green form of one J’onn J’onzz.

J’onn flipped free of Henshaw’s grip, nailing the cyborg in the chin on his way up. He kept to the sky, prompting Henshaw to follow. They disappeared in a blur of movement, too quick to for Lena's eyes to track. Lex’s growl grew to a roar as he launched himself at Alex. Alex drew her blade just in time, and Lena was all but forgotten as the two engaged.

Lena staggered to her feet just as the roof door burst open, flooding Lex’s men onto the rooftop. She scrambled for her lost pistol, firing quickly and drawing their fire away from the commencing battle. She threw herself behind the HVAC unit for cover. Bullets pinged against the metal plating, giving Lena time to collect her dwindling energy.

She peeked around the unit carefully, selecting her targets and firing with precision. In her ear, the radio crackled to life.

“Lena! What’s happening?” Kara’s voice felt like a warm salve. It dulled the ache in her chest and the sharp sting of a bullet grazing her shoulder.

Drawing back behind the unit, Lena pressed a finger to her ear. “Henshaw showed up like we anticipated. J’onn has engaged. Alex is--”

Lena ducked as a goon suddenly burst into view. She fired instinctively, and he dropped like a stone, blood dripping from the bullet wound in his chest. A lump formed in her throat. “I’m going to have to call you back.”

“Wait--!”

Lena ripped the radio out of her ear, silencing Kara’s protests. At least she was safe, Lena reminded herself as she abandoned the safety of the HVAC unit and quickly picked off the last of Lex’s forces. Somewhere far below, Kara waited in the safety of a DEO surveillance van, observing the action from the protection of a fully armed team of agents. Without her powers, she’d been barred from the mission, by all involved.

Lena could only hope Kara would one day forgive her.

From across the rooftop a familiar voice cried out. Lena spun on her heel to see Lex gain the upper hand, slamming his fist into Alex’s face once, then twice. Alex collapsed, scrambling to reclaim her dropped sword until Lex kicked her in the ribs, then delivered one final blow to the back of her head. Alex went limp in her armor, and didn’t move as Lex reached for the Kryptonite blade.

Lena leveled her weapon and fired, only to hear the click of an empty chamber. Dropping the useless pistol, Lena scooped up Alex’s abandoned lance and sprinted towards them without a second thought. She swung the sharpened pole like a baseball bat, channeling all of her momentum, and all of her might, into a single blow.

The apex of the swing caught Lex under the chin and snapped his head backwards. His faceplate flew off, exposing features that went slack as he dropped. Lena slid to her knees beside Alex, pressing her hands against clammy skin, searching for a pulse. By some miracle, she found one, slow and steady.

"Alex! Alex, wake up." Lena scanned the roof behind her, but Henshaw and J'onn were still nowhere to be found. She patted Alex’s cheeks more urgently. "Come on, Alex..."

"Out of my way, Lena," Lex groaned.

Lena whirled on one knee, throwing her arms out as though they alone would be enough to stop him. Panic gripped her as she felt her plan slipping through her fingers-- until she remembered the gun still strapped to her right thigh.

She pulled it on instinct, leveling it at her brother’s head as he regained his feet.

"Killing you the first time was hard enough," he panted. The fight had taken its toll-- he listed unsteadily, with one pupil blown wide and one side of his face not quite responding as quickly as the other. "Don't make me do it again."

"No one is making you do anything,” Lena told him, voice shaking. “You can stop this at any time!”

"Not while the alien menace persists!"

Lena shook her head, blinking away tears. "The only menace here is you."

She cocked the gun, bringing a smile to Lex's face. "Why bother? You know that won't hurt me."

"Do I?"

Lex lunged for her as her finger squeezed the trigger. She'd aimed for his head but the bullet simply flashed once as it pierced his kinetic shields, and disappeared into the flesh of Lex's neck.

_5..._

Lex reeled from the impact, bending double as he struggled to keep his feet. When he did, he froze, as though he couldn’t quite believe it.

_4..._

Lena tossed her empty pistol away. Lex turned towards her. He coughed, spilling a mouthful of blood down his chin.

_3..._

Reaching behind her, Lena searched blindly for Alex’s hand. She found it, and squeezed tightly against unresponsive fingers. The contact anchored her, and she held her ground as Lex staggered towards her.

_2..._

"Your last shot, wasted," he rasped. His grin was painted red, vivid against the greying pallor of his skin. "Thought I taught you better than that, ace.”

Lena swallowed against rising tears. "I really did love you, Lex. So much."

_1._

The bullet detonated, converting its collected energy into an electrical discharge that rivaled the current of a lightning bolt. Lena watched, horrified, as Lex's body locked in spasm, features contorting as his soft tissues fried. He didn't scream, or curse... she heard only the hum of the current and snap of sparks as electricity compromised the integrity of the Lexosuit, travelling its circuits and overloading several on its way.

After long, interminable minutes, Lex simply collapsed, his skin and suit steaming faintly.

Lena slowly rose, moving to crouch beside him. Blinking heavily, she reached past the unrecognizable rictus of his features and pressed her fingers against his neck. Swallowing against the lump in her throat, she struggled to feel anything at all past the unnatural heat of his skin.

Nothing.

Lena gasped against a sob, and instantly regretted it. She gagged on the scent of scorched human flesh that filled her nose and mouth, fighting the bile that rose in her throat. But then, just beneath the pungent smell of pork, Lena caught a hint of something else. Something sharp and acrid, startlingly familiar-- the smell of kryptonite nearing its flashpoint.

"Shit!"

Lena raced back to Alex, who groaned as she started to come round. Lena hooked an arm under her shoulders, struggling to pull the woman upright. "Alex, we have to go! Come on...  please please please--"

Alex’s eyes fluttered open and then rolled back in her head as she fell limp once more. Unable to get Alex on her feet, Lena switched tactics and simply pulled on one arm, attempting to drag Alex across the roof to safety, but the suit more than doubled Alex’s weight, and Lena couldn’t budge her an inch.

With shaking fingers Lena fumbled at the straps of the suit, undoing each buckle one by one.

It cost precious time, seconds and minutes they didn’t have. Behind them, Lex's suit sparked, releasing another cloud of noxious odor. As the last buckle came loose, Lena pulled Alex free.

Too late.

Just like that day on spring break, the world shifted in the time it took to blink. The next thing she knew, she was falling, Alex still wrapped in her arms. Lena hugged her tight, closing her eyes against the inevitable impact.

_Kara… I'm sorry._

Then Lena's entire body jolted as their descent halted abruptly. There wasn't any pain; for a long moment there was nothing at all. Then she heard the whistle of the wind in her ears and felt the warmth of arms around her.

She opened her eyes and found Alex still unconscious, both of them cradled in the arms of Supergirl.

"It’s okay," Kara gasped softly in her ear. Lena could feel Kara’s heart pounding wildly against her back where they met in tight contact. Her voice strained with exertion as she slowly floated them down to Earth. "You're safe."

Lena's breath hitched helplessly as her tears finally broke free. Shutting her eyes, she buried her face in Alex's shoulder and let the sound of Kara's assurances wash over her.

“I’ve got you.”


	8. Chapter 8

Kara set them down as gently as she could, but her dwindling energy disallowed any sort of grace. They ended up in a heap on the pavement outside L-Corp, with Kara quickly rolling away to avoid crushing them. Lena followed, sucking in deep lungfuls of air even as she turned to check on Kara.

“Are you okay?” she coughed. Kara nodded, and Lena gave her hand a squeeze before turning back to Alex, who still had yet to wake. Lena fumbled to put the radio back in her ear. “We need a medical team.”

Almost before she’d finished speaking hands reached into her field of vision, gently nudging her away from Alex. Lena looked up and locked gazes with Agent Vasquez, who offered a reassuring nod.

“We’ve got her.”

More hands reached for her as well, but Lena waved them off. “I’m fine.” She repeated herself when Kara climbed to her knees and carefully pulled her closer. “I’m fine. Go,” she urged when she saw Kara’s gaze drift to where Alex was being lifted onto a stretch. “Go with her. I just... need a second.”

Kara hovered, torn, until Lena all but shoved her towards Alex. “Go.”

Lena watched her climb into the medical van with Alex, and finally released a sigh when the doors closed on both of them. In the rush to secure the scene Lena was temporarily forgotten. A sense of quiet stole over her, a silent peace that felt final. Complete.

Lillian was going to be so angry with her.

Lena almost laughed at the thought that intruded on her brief moment of tranquility. Almost. It was better than crying, which felt on the verge of happening at any moment. Not here, she told herself. Not here.

She forced herself to her feet, gritting her teeth against the pain that tore through her from spine to sternum. Even upright, it took her long moments to straighten completely. As soon as she had, Lena knew she wasn’t fine. Her vision tunnelled as her hearing hollowed out. Her knees trembled, then crumpled completely as the world went black.

* * *

When Lena blinked awake, she was no longer outside. It took her brain long, sluggish moments to take in the fluorescent lighting, the stiff hospital-grade sheets, and murmur of voices and machinery, and still didn't quite realize she was at the DEO until she saw Kara sitting at her bedside.

Supergirl's suit was gone, leaving Kara Danvers soft in jeans and a government-issued hoodie.

"Well, look who decided to join the land of the living."

Alex's voice came from the other side of her bed, rousing Kara from her nap. Lena laboriously turned her head and found Alex alive and well, gazing warmly at her from two heavily bruised eyes. Medical tape spanned the bridge of her nose, seemingly insignificant against the massive swelling.

"Welcome back," Alex teased.

Lena offered a weak smile. "Wha' happened?"

"You collapsed at the scene," Kara said sharply, barely contained anger lurking just beneath the surface of relief.

"You bumped your head on the way down," came Alex's gentler retelling.

"You fractured your skull on the pavement." Kara squeezed her hand, mindful of the IV taped to the back of it. Her touch was so gentle, at odds with the edge in her voice. "I shouldn't have left."

"Told you to," Lena said simply, as if it were all the justification she needed. And it was, even if Kara would need another few rounds to accept it. She looked at Alex again. "It worked."

Alex grinned, wincing as she touched her fingers to her swollen cheeks. "Yeah, it did."

"Sorry 'bout your face."

A shrug answered her. "To be fair, that wasn't part of the plan, so I think I can forgive you."

"You're okay, though..."

Nodding, Alex squeezed her shoulder. "Yes."

"You saved her," Kara said, voice thick with sudden tears. Lena swallowed painfully. She curled her fingers around Kara's. Did she?

Alex tenderly brushed the edge of Lena's cheek with the back of one finger. "You saved all of us."

Absurdly, Lena started to laugh. A dry rasping giggle at first, then a hacking belly laugh that brought tears to her eyes. Alex and Kara exchanged a glance of mutual confusion.

"The Luthor..." Lena tried to explain, gasping with mirth, "who saved the world."

Neither of them seemed to see the humor of it, but neither did they bat an eye when her laughter turned to tears. Alex held her hand as she cried, and Kara leaned in to kiss the side of her head.

And that was enough.


End file.
